Before the maze
by ALzzza
Summary: "Do you think we knew each other before the maze?" "I don't know. Maybe. Why's that, Tommy?" He shrugged faintly. "I don't know. You just feel kind of familiar, you know?" Or the one where Newt and Thomas knew each other before the Maze.


"Do you think we knew each other before the Maze?"

Thomas and Newt were sitting next to each other, shoulders leaning towards each other's. Not touching, just leaning. It was dark as they watched the planes of the

Scorch. The mountains of sand looked like waves in the dark, if Thomas squints he thinks that he can see the ocean in them. He thinks he can find a distant memory of what it felt like to watch the sea, wide and blue and beautiful, without the looming thoughts of death hanging over them all.

It feels childish, watching the sea. When he imagines the water, he can hear distant squeals of joy and see smiles giddy with excitement, he thinks that's what it should be like. Even now, they should only be children.

But they're not. When he tries to grab at the feelings, the smiles, the **joy** , they melt away. Pass through his fingers like air. He was grabbing at something he would never get to hold. Still, he tries to grasp onto them as they fade like echoes.

As his vision clears completely and he sees the Scorch. Sees that it had never been the ocean at all, just sand. No happiness, just despair. He looks away.

Newt is already looking at him. He's watching him with something that might be concern, might be interest. His forehead was creased with a frown but, his eyes were a little too wide and his jaw a little too set. An echo of resolve gathering around him both familiar and foreign. Welcome and un.

"I don't know. Maybe. Why's that, Tommy?" Thomas was watching Newt right back. Peering at him with sad eyes.

He shrugged faintly. "I don't know." A pause as he looks at the Scorch then to Newt again. "You just feel kind of familiar, you know?"

Newt watched him silently as he cast his eyes towards the Scorch a second time. He looked lost. His gaze searching, but not seeing the sand.

He was lost.

"Not like with Teresa." He continued, "Different. It feels like you _should_ be familiar. Like when I search for you when things are shit, you know? And you smile, and it puts me at ease. I don't think I should know how to do that unless I'd done it before." He sighs. "And, it's just, you." He peered towards Newt like he was trying to keep it a secret. As if looking at Newt wasn't meant to be seen.

"I don't know, everything about us feels like we should have done it before." He looked away. "You call me Tommy and it feels like I should know that name, like it was my name. Like I'd answered to it before." He stole another glance at Newt, but there was a smile curling on his lips and his eyes were shinning with laughter. "And only you call me Tommy."

Newt looked away from him, finally smiling. Bumping shoulders with Thomas gently. His chuckles fading out and they lapsed into comfortable silence.

It didn't last long before Newt broke it.

"I think I know what you mean."

A pained look flashed across his face as he spoke, and when he didn't continue Thomas bumped they're shoulders together again, smiling soft. "Yeah?"

Newt smiled slightly but it looked wrong. "Yeah. It's like with you except instead of searching for you in a crowd," his voice turned slightly teasing as he watched Thomas duck his head, imagined the blush he couldn't see in the dark dusting his cheeks. "I have thoughts." He finished softly, obviously thinking about something.

"Like when you first came out of the box," he paused briefly, frowning, "and you were about to run into the Maze. I knew what you were going to do before you did it. And I sort of thought, he's going to be an impulsive idiot trying to save Minho and Alby." He smiled that wrong smile again before continuing, "I thought, I have to stop him before he gets himself killed trying."

The: _but I didn't_ , hung in the air around Newt like defeat and all Thomas wanted to do was chase it away.

Before he could even try however, Newt was talking again. "But, I shouldn't have really _known_ that. I mean, I shouldn't have cared so much, right? You were just some Greenie." He smiled that smile again. "I don't know, but it's sort of like with you, right? Like you should've done that before for me to 've thought that. Yeah?"

He looked at Thomas again, but Thomas couldn't tell what he was asking. So, he said, "Yeah."

The next time Thomas brought it up was just after Newt had confessed to getting the Flare. Thomas had long since sat down next to him. They were just sitting quietly watching their feet hang over the edge.

"You know how I think we knew each other, before the Maze?" He asked looking a Newt. "Do you think we were friends?"

Newt scoffed out a laughed before answering, "'Course we were. I call you Tommy, remember?"

Thomas grinned at him briefly before turning thoughtful. "Do you think it was just us—That were friends, I mean."

Newt hummed. "No. I think everyone must've been there, right? And I can't imagine not being friends with Min." He scrunched up his noise. "It would be weird."

Thomas chuckled at that, though he'd have to agree. "Definitely."

The silence snuck up on them again, keeping them company.

Then, "Do you think we were just friends?"

Newt eyed Thomas with amusement. "Whad'ya mean Tommy?"

He shifted slightly where he sat. "Well, it's just—you know how you have your thoughts—or whatever—well, I sorta have thoughts too, y'know? Sometimes, I mean. And well, they're kind of familiar but, not, but _should_ be, you know?"

Newt smirked minutely and asked, "What sort of, familiar-but-not-but- _should_ -be thoughts?"

Thomas blushed and ducked his head. "Well, like—I'll touch your hair or something and I'll think, it should be softer even though I'd never touched your hair before. Or, when you get sad—or whatever—I'll think, I need to make him hot chocolate. And well, I don't even really know what that is." At the last part he looked less embarrassed, more frustrated.

Newt had watched him the whole time, smile growing teasing, then more genuine when Thomas' voice became slightly hysterical. He asked, "Thomas?" And his smile was definitely teasing again. "Are you trying to ask be if we were _lovers_?"

Newt laughed as Thomas choked. Blush back on his face, but then he was looking at Newt again—and really, that was exactly what he was asking so, he ended up smiling back at Newt.

"Do you think we were, though?" And Thomas would be worried about this being awkward but, _Newt hadn't stopped smiling._

And he didn't stop, even as he told him softly, "'Course we were. I call you Tommy."

Which, okay fair point and Thomas really wasn't going to stop grinning any time soon. He didn't even as he asked, "Can I kiss you now?"

There was a genuine smile on Newts face again, but he just rolled his eyes at Thomas. Turning towards him then eyeing him pointedly as he leaned towards him. Not touching, just leaning.

He was watching Thomas like it was a secret, and when he spoke it was a whisper that felt like a confession against his lips.

"Yes."

Then they were kissing, which would probably have been soft and sweet and perfect, except Thomas didn't stop grinning.

Thomas didn't stop grinning as they kissed, and Newt was smiling slightly into it too. So really, it was even better.


End file.
